Posted by AF [AF] on November 10, 1999 at 16:16:42 {AAJB0ph6mY1EwaxRomAMdaOt1gg/Zk}:
In Reply to: WTS LIFTS SHUNNING posted by Dublover on November 10, 1999 at 15:30:32:
Oh, you have it all wrong! It's not lies. It's white lies.
As usual the Society misleads people by failing to tell the whole truth. What they do tell is correct as far as it goes, but it gives an incomplete and therefore misleading picture of the reality. Note how they do it:
"Those who simply cease to be involved in the faith are not shunned."
The catchword here is "simply". It means that they're deliberately not telling the reader about formally ceasing "to be involved in the faith" by verbally or by writing a letter telling virtually any JW that they're no longer a JW. If this information gets back to the person's home congregation, the elders will often announce that the person has "disassociated himself", which of course results in shunning.
I know from personal experience that JWs will sometimes try to trick an ex-JW into saying that, and so will elders, so as to be able to make a forced disassociation. Sometimes elders will even lie about a situation so as to avoid the problems of disfellowshiping someone, by asking them if they're loyal to the Society. If the person waffles, then the elders may claim that the person has disassociated and announce it to the congregation. This is what happened to Jan Haugland and his wife -- they were never disfellowshiped.
"In compliance with the Scriptures, however, members can be expelled for serious unchristian conduct, such as stealing, drunkenness, or adultery, if they do not repent and cease such actions."
This is true. However, it does not include anything about disagreeing with the Watchtower Society. If the website mentioned the actual JW practice -- that continuing to speak with other JWs about one's disagreements may well result in disfellowshiping -- many readers would be horrified.
"Disfellowshipping does not sever family ties."
True, but it bends them to the breaking point and often the resulting stress severs family ties. Again I know from personal experience how even spoken disagreement with the Society, much less disfellowshiping, can lead to broken marriages and broken families.
"Disfellowshipped members may continue to attend religious services, and if they wish, they may receive pastoral visits. They are always welcome to return to the faith."
This is essentially true but the reader is not told that in the meantime the person is treated like garbage, often by his own family members. Too, it often takes many years for a person to get back in the good graces of the elders, so that no matter what he does he is not allowed back in. We've seen a number of people on H2O relate accounts of this.
The Society is very good at misleading people by telling half-truths. So are many JW apologists. That's why if you want to discuss problematic areas with them you'd better do your homework, because relying on them to tell you the whole truth is like relying on Bill Clinton to give a good definition of sex.
AF